Automatic drop-test machine



May 23, 1939. c, w, McswAlN 2,159,036

AUTOMATIC DROP-TEST MACHINE Filed Oct. 16, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet l ktoMwAj A May23, 1939.

C. W. McSWAIN AUTOMATIC DROP-TEST MACHINE Filed Oct. 16. 1936 ff g I 2 sheets-sheet 2 Patented May 23, 1939 PATENT OFFICE AUTOMATIC DROP-TEST MACHINE Claude W. McSwain, Raleigh, N. C., dedicated to the free use of the People of the United States Application October 16, 1936, Serial No. 105,940

4 Claims.

(Granted under the act of March 3, 1883, as

amended April 30, 1928; 370 0. G. 757) 'I'his application is made under the act of March 3, 1883, (C. 143; 22 stat. 625), as amended by the act approved April 30, 1928, (C. 460; 45 stat. 462), and the invention herein described, if

6 patented, may be manufactured and used by and for the Government for governmental purposes without payment to me of any royalty therefor. I hereby dedicate this invention to the free use of the people of the United States, to take effect on the granting of a patent to me.

One of the objects of this invention is to provide automatic mechanical means for making what is known commonly as the Dropping test for bags orl sacks and like containers. Heretofore this test has been conducted by placing such containers, when filled with the required contents, on a platform and by means of a trap cause it to fall to the floor or other stationary receptacle. After each drop the container had to be placed on the platform and continuous droppings so made until a break occurred in the container. A record of the number of such drops was kept as a ycomparison of the durability of the material used in the construction of all containers so tested. This has heretofore been done by human exertion which made the process slow, uncertain of exact comparison of quality and subject to error in recording.

In order to carry out the purposes of my in- 30 vention reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, in which similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

Referring lto the drawings,

Figure 1 is a side elevation of my apparatus.

` Figure 2 is a front elevation of the automatic lock weight.

Figure 3 is a top plan view of the automatic lock weight.

Figure 4 is a top plan View of the pulley assembly.

Figure 5 is a front elevation of guide frame.

AFigure 6 is a front elevation of the supports for the sling assembly.

This invention provides means for continuously raising and dropping such containers without the aid of human endeavor, stops the raising and dropping at a predetermined condition of the container and records the number of drops required to cause it to arrive in such condition. Thus after one of such containers is placed in the machine, no furtherV effort on the part of the operator is needed for the duration of the test. In order to aid in the description of my machine, it can best be understood as made up of three 55parts, These parts may be termed the hoisting assembly, the automatic lock Weight and the sling assembly.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the Working parts of the machine When assembled for use. The letters A to N indicate the parts of the hoisting assembly, letters O to T indicate the parts of the automatic lock weight, While letters U to Z show the parts of the sling assembly.

The hoisting assembly provides means for raising and lowering the automatic lock weight. Its construction and operation is as follows; reference being made to Figures 1 and 4, in which like letters indicate like parts:

Power for driving is supplied by the usual means, such as a motor A, mounted on base E. This source of power drives a countershaft D, mounted on supporting frames D', by means of belt B from pulleys A to B", respectively. This motion is transmitted through shaft D to the pulley C, and by means of belt B' to pulley E'. Pulley C is fastened to the shaft D, which is mounted on supporting frame D', while pulley C' is placed on shaft D, but not fastened. Mounted on the shaft L and fastened to it is a gear F of approximately one fifth as many teeth as the gear G, which is driven by it. The gear G, and drum H, are mounted and fastened on the shaft L. 'Ihe rope or cable I is attached to the drum I-I, and is wound onto it when motion is applied to the pulley E. by the belt B. 'I'he collars K, K' are placed on the cable I, to reverse the direction of motion of the drum H, This is accomplished through the shift rod M, fork M', and the belt shifter N. The rope or cable I passes over a sheave J, placed a suiicient distance above the point where the sling assembly is to operate so as to afford adequate vertical lifting to it. The cable I is attached to thev automatic lock weight O.

Control of the reciprocating motion to cause alternate Winding and unwinding of the cable I is accomplished by placing two collars K and K' on cable I in conjunction with fork M' and shifter rod M. The fork M' has an arm at its extreme end which maintains a position between collars K and K. This fork M' is so formed as to allow of the passage of cable I but will obstruct the passage of collars K and K'. (Figs. 1 and 4 are given in the drawings to more clearly show this construction.) The belt shifter N being pivoted at F', forcing the shifter rod M in the direction of the belt shifter will cause the belt fork N' to place the belt B' on the idle pulley C. Thus it is clearly seen that when collars K and K come against the fork M' as cable I is being wound onto drum H, belt B will be placed on the idle pulley C' as a result of such motion being conveyed through shifter rod M, fork M', and belt shifter N. Thus, the automatic lock weight O will descend by gravity until collar K' comes against fork M', when belt B' will be replaced on the tight pulley C and the beam V will again ascend. It is pointed out in this connection that the location of collar K on cable I will determine the height to which beam V will ascend. Also the location of collar K' on cable I, will determine the low position to which cable I willassume on its descent. These adjustments can be made to determine the height to which the bags W are to be raised before dropping and to predetermine the low position of the sling assembly (U to Z), after the bag W has broken as the result of impacts upon the platform, or other suitable receptacle (not shown).

The automatic lock weight provides means for raising the sling assembly (U to Z), to which is attached the article to be tested, to a predetermined point and then releasing it so that it will fall of its own weight. Referring to Figures l, 2, and` 3, in which letters O to T represent like parts, the letters d, d', e and f, being used to designate additional parts, the construction of this part is as follows:

The size of the weight O is such as to have sufficient gravity pull for reversing the motion of the hoisting assembly when the driving belt is placed on the idle pulley E". The goose-neck part R extends upward away from the back side of the weight a distance so as to allow the spearhead U suilicient clearance between the point rwhere it is locked by the latch S and the hole d in its top portion. The hole d' is for the purpose of attaching this assembly to the cable I, and the hole d is to allow the cable Y to freely pass through. The slot f is cut in the side of the weight O in order to allow free passage of the spear-head U, and for the insertion of the latch S. The latch Sis pivoted at T, as shown, the latch handle P being permanently attached to 'this latch and is a means of turning it so as to release the spear-head U. The coil spring e is attached to the end of the latch handle P, and by suitable connection to the goose-neck R. The

chain or cable Q is mounted on support frames Z' and latch handle P, and is used as a means of releasing the latch S after the automatic lock weight O has been raised a predetermined distance.

The sling assembly is shown in Figures l and 6,

the parts being indicated by the letters h, i, in addition to the letters V to Z. Attached to the beam V are two straps X, X', for supporting the bag W, Guides i, i' are provided to hold the assembly in proper position. Attached to the top surface of the beam V, is the spear-head U, which in turn is attached to the cable Y. Cable Y passes through the slot f, in weight O, through the hole in gooseneck R, over sheaves h, h', and is then attached to the coil spring Z, mounted within supporting frame Z' (by any suitable means not shown), and pulleys J, h and h' are mounted on shafts h2 which are mounted (by any suitable means not shown), on supporting frames i, i and Z'.

All supporting frames are mounted on base `plate E by means of bolts and nuts.

The operation of the combined assemblies is asV follows:

Reference being had to Figures 1, 2, 3, 4 and 6, the bag or other article W, to be raised and dropped, is attached to the sling assembly in a ceive the impact of the article to be tested, a vermanner shown in Figures 1 and 6. The automatic lock weight O being raised and lowered as above described, it will pass downward along the line of the cable Y, which is within the slot f, of the weight ol. n win thus be guided so that it will allow the spear-head U to assume a position where the latch S is below the cut-out portion of the spear-head. As the weight ascends, the rlatch will catch and hold fast the spear-head U. Thus the sling assembly will be carried up with theweight unti-l the chain or cable Q assumes its lultimate length when the latch S` will be pulled outward by means ofthe handle P, and allow the sling assembly to fall. The automatic lock weight then descends toits former low position and the cycleof operation is completed.

Automatic recording of the number of drops required for each article to be tested W is accomplished by theuse of a commonly used stroke counter c, which is mounted adjacent to a part a, by any suitable means not shown. The operation of thisr counter may be understood by referring to Figurerl, in which the letters a, b, b', c and g, are used asreference. The part-a passes through bearings b, b', mounted on supporting frame ZI, and is curved at its upper end and allows the cable Y to pass through a hole in this curved portion. A collar g is placed on the cable Y, so that when the sling assembly falls, this collar will come against the top portion of the piecea, and impart motion to the lever of the counter c.v

When a certain` amount ofthe contents of the container, such as bags made from flexible material, have been expelled as'a result of bursting, the sling assembly will descend to a lower position as this expulsion occurs. Adjusting the low position of the automatic lock weight by'means of the collar K will prevent the: latch S from catching the spear-head U, when the sling assembly is lowered to a certain point. When this happens, lifting, dropping and recording automatically ceases.

I claim:

1. A device of the class described comprising a base, supporting framesr mounted on said base and'` having a stationary receptacle adapted to receive the impact` of the article to be tested, a f

vertically reciprocating locking'de'vice, a beam', means for'connecting thearti'cle to be tested to said beam which is arranged to be automatically attached' to and detached from said vertically reciprocating locking device, and means for producing such locking and unlocking by a latch and conjunctive member so arranged as to be secure in locking and at the same time to allow of being unlocked with no strain on the adjacent parts.A

v2. A device of the class described comprising supporting frames having a suitable stationary receptacle for the impact of the article to be tested, a vertically reciprocating locking device, a beam, means for connectingr the article to be tested to said beam which is arranged to be'automatically attached to and'detached from said verticallyv reciprocating locking device, means for producing the reciprocation of said locking'device by winding and unwinding a cable on a drum and means for controlling said winding and unwinding by collars placed on said reciprocating cable in combination with suitable control parts to cause said drum to intermittently turn in one direction and then be reversed.

3. A device of the class described comprising a base, supporting frames mounted on said base and having a stationary receptacle adapted to retically reciprocating locking device, a beam adapted to be automatically attached to and detached from said vertically reciprocating locking device, means for connecting the article to be tested to said beam, thereby allowing the article to be tested and said beam to be raised and then dropped to the stationary receptacle, means for producing continuous vertical reciprocating motion to the lockingdevice by intermittently winding and unwinding a cable connected to a drum and means for controlling the amount of motion and the position of said locking device at each reciprocation.

4. A device of the class described comprising a base, supporting frames mounted on said base and having a receptacle adapted to receive the impact of the article to be tested, a vertically reciproeating locking device, a beam adapted to be automatically attached to and detached from said vertically reciprocating locking device, means for connecting the article to be tested to said beam, thereby allowing the article to be tested and said beam to be raised and then dropped to the receptacle, means for producing continuous vertical reciprocating motion to the locking device by intermittently winding and unwinding a cable attached to a drum and means for controlling the amount of motion andthe position of said locking device at each reciprocation, means for stopping the raising and dropping of the article being tested When it arrives at a certain reduced bulkiness as a result of bursting and expelling the contents and means for recording the number of drops made during the test period.

CLAUDE W. MCSWAIN. 

